Two former Ministry of Education directors face verdict hearing in "Chromebook" case
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Two former directors of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology are facing a verdict hearing by the panel of judges regarding the alleged corruption case involving the procurement of Chromebooks, at the Corruption Court in the Central Jakarta District Court on Thursday.
The two individuals are Sri Wahyuningsih, Director of Primary Schools in the Directorate General of Early Childhood Education, Basic Education, and Secondary Education (Ditjen PAUD Dikdasmen) at Kemendikbudristek from 2020–2021, and Mulyatsyah, Director of Junior High Schools in Ditjen PAUD Dikdasmen at Kemendikbudristek from 2020–2021.
“The trial for the defendants Sri Wahyuningsih and Mulyatsyah is scheduled for the verdict,” said Spokesperson for the Central Jakarta District Court Andi Saputra to reporters.
The hearing will be chaired by Chief Judge Purwanto Abdullah and is scheduled to take place in Courtroom Kusuma Atmadja 3.
Previously, Sri Wahyuningsih and Mulyatsyah were each demanded with a prison sentence of six years and a fine of Rp500 million, with the provision that if not paid, it would be replaced (subsidiary) with imprisonment for 120 days.
Specifically for Mulyatsyah, a demand was also made for additional punishment in the form of restitution of Rp2.28 billion, subsidiary to three years in prison.
In the alleged corruption case of the education digitalisation programme involving the procurement of Chromebook laptops and Chrome Device Management (CDM) within the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology from 2019–2022, the two defendants are suspected of causing state financial losses amounting to Rp2.18 trillion.
In detail, the state losses include Rp1.56 trillion related to the education digitalisation programme at Kemendikbudristek, as well as US$44.05 million or equivalent to Rp621.39 billion due to the procurement of unnecessary and unbeneficial CDM in the education digitalisation programme.
It is stated that the defendants committed these unlawful acts together with the Minister of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology for the 2019-2024 period, Nadiem Anwar Makarim, Technology Consultant at Kemendikbudristek Ibrahim Arief, and former Special Staff to the Minister of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology Jurist Tan.
The unlawful acts committed by the defendants together with Nadiem, Ibam, and Jurist include procuring information and communication technology-based learning facilities in the form of Chromebook laptops and CDM for the 2020, 2021, and 2022 fiscal years that did not align with the procurement planning and various procurement principles.
Then, Nadiem, through Ibam, Mulyatsyah, Sri, and Jurist, conducted a review of studies and needs analysis for information and communication technology (ICT) equipment in the education digitalisation programme, which led to Chromebook laptops using the Chrome operating system (Chrome OS) and CDM.
However, the review of studies and needs analysis was not based on the identification of primary and secondary education needs in Indonesia, resulting in failures, particularly in 3T regions (outermost, most underdeveloped, frontier).
The defendants, together with Nadiem, Ibam, and Jurist, also prepared unit prices and budget allocations for 2020 without supporting surveys and accountable data.
The preparation of unit prices and budget allocations was carried out in the budgeting for the procurement of Chromebook laptops using the Chrome operating system (Chrome OS) and CDM as references for unit prices and budget allocations in 2021 and 2022.
In addition, the defendants, together with Nadiem and Jurist, are also suspected of procuring Chromebook laptops at Kemendikbudristek through e-Catalogue or the School Procurement Information System (SIPLah) application in 2020, 2021, and 2022 without price evaluation of the procurement implementation of Chromebook laptops and without supporting price references.
For their actions, the two face penalties as stipulated in Article 2 paragraph (1) or Article 3 in conjunction with Article 18 of Law No. 31 of 1999 on the Eradication of Criminal Acts of Corruption as amended and supplemented by Law No. 20 of 2001 jo. Article 55 paragraph (1) first of the Criminal Code.